Listed Buildings

Listed Buildings

(Taken from The Highland Council Guidance Document)

Listed Building Consent

Listed Building Consent (LBC) is a separate consent to planning permission and is normally required for all works to a listed building, both internal and external, irrespective of what type of building it may be. There is currently no fee for a LBC application, but the decision may take up to two months, depending on the category of the listed buildings and the nature of the proposed works. Both listed building consent and planning permission may be required.

Where alternations to or replacement of windows or doors are proposed in a listed building, along with any external finishes, barge boards, soffits, surrounds, rainwater goods etc., LBC will always be required. The council expects any changes proposed to a listed building to be sensitive and appropriate, both in terms of the quality of materials used and the design, and, as recent Council decisions and Scottish Government appeal decisions have shown, uPVC windows and doors are not considered acceptable. It should also be noted that merely because uPVC windows or other fittings may exist in or on a listed building, this does not mean that uPVC replacements would automatically be accepted.

It is important to note that, unlike development under the planning act, all work carried out to a listed building without Listed Building Consent constitutes an immediate offence. It is recommended that advice is always sought from the Council prior to any work being carried out to a listed building. We would also encourage the use of our free pre-application advice service for local developments.

Further Advice and Guidance

We encourage early dialogue in advance of any proposed works to listed or buildings in conservation areas. This will save you time and avoids the need for enforcement action.

You can obtain free advice from the Council via our pre-application advice service for local developments: